f 



1080 L\ S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES 



In order to follow quantitative and qualitative fluctuations in the 

 vield, the saniplin^r of connnercial catches begun in 192(S was con- 

 tinued and extended in 1920. More than 100,000 fish of several 

 species were measured and over 6.000 scale samples taken at S field 

 bases located at Montauk and Fire Island. X. Y. ; Lon<r Branch, 

 Seaside Park, Beach Haven, and Wildwood, N. J.; Hampton and 

 Exniore. Va. 



Excellent i)r()<:ress was made in the analysis of bi<)l<)<»!cal data con- 

 cerning: squetea<j:ue and scup. AYith re<;ard to the scjueteaj^ue, it is 

 probable that the «reneral increase in the 1929 catch over 1928 is due 

 to the entrance of lar^je numbers of the 1926 brood. Tliis dominance 

 may be expected to make itself felt for several years. 



In order to trace miorations I.ISOO squeteague were ta<;<red at 

 Wildwood, N. J., durinjT June, 1929. A few local recaptures were 

 made, all within a few weeks of tagfoino-. Little hope is entertained 

 that additional recaptures will be reported. 



Data on the scup also indicate the effects of dominance. The 1927 

 brood, although too small to figure in the ccminieirial catch of 1928, 

 was observed in unusually large numbers in the jiound nets, and 

 reappeared as expected in 1929, increasing the average catch per trap 

 nearly fivefohl over the 1928 average. 



This result is the more remarkable Ijecause tlie abundant 1927 

 brood was spawned in a season of abnormally low yield — that is, rela- 

 tively very few adults — indicating not only an unusual resistance to 

 fishery strain but also that the number of survivors is to a large 

 extent independent of the number of spawning adults. 



In order to supplement the general oceanographic ])rogram dis- 

 cussed above, two surveys of inshore w^aters were carried out in 1929. 

 A survey of Delaware Bay, under the direction of Prof. A. E. Parr, 

 was undertaken in cooperation with the Bingham Oceanographic 

 Collection. From the middle of May to the end of September, 

 three cruises were made each week, with additional cruises at longer 

 intervals during October. Several stations were occupied on each 

 cruise, and at each station in addition to })lankton or juvenile fish 

 collections, temperature, salinity, and hydrogen-ion concentration 

 were noted. A series of drift bottles was released in order to deter- 

 mine the effect of currents on migrations of fish eggs and larva\ 

 At the beginning of the season most of the collections were made with 

 townets. Later, Peterson trawls were used for tlu^ capturt; of juve- 

 nile fishes. Spawning grounds of several of tlie species fre(iuenting 

 this region were located, and dates of maximum s})awning (dfoit 

 observed. 



The large collection of juvenile fishes have contributed much of 

 value to our knowledge of the rates of growth of scjueteague, scup, 

 and sea bass during their first year of life. This ])i-ovides a sound 

 foundation for determination of the age of older fish. 



A similar survey was carried out in Chesai)eake I^ay l)y J. C. 

 Pearson. His collection, derived from about HOO tovvnet hauls, in- 

 cludes larval and postlarval stages of 43 species as well as eggs and 

 juveniles. 



Data collected in these surveys are being analyzed in the Peabody 

 Museum, Yale University. The kindness of the nniseum in pi'o- 

 viding laboratorv and librarv facilities is gratefullv acknowledged. 



